from RUS NY

Vernon, NY — Funny Photo did not have to go out and break his own record to win Vernon Downs’ RUS Series final Saturday night (Sept. 19).

The 6-year-old chestnut horse sat patiently in second place until the three-quarter pole where he was pulled by rider Sophie Engerran. Funny Photo (Classic Photo-American Jean) finished the mile in a time of 2:02.2, edging out second place horse Glorious Winner by four lengths.

“I knew he raced last night so I didn’t want him to run a hard race,” she said. “Actually he told me he wanted to go so I let him do it.”

The race came together pretty simply, according to Engerran. However, that was not the case the last time the duo took to the track. Funny Photo had his worst outing under saddle at Hiawatha Horse Park in Canada on Sept. 12, where he broke behind the gate and was hard to keep trotting and placed last. Engerran and trainer Andy Gardner attributed the loss to the soft surface of the track.

Engerran, who also has monte experience in France, said the horse wears flip flops and really races best on a hard track. He loves to race on his home track at Vernon, she added.

Vernon Downs is where Funny Photo broke the North American seven-eighths-mile track record with a time of 1:59. It was his first ever racing under saddle race and the first leg of the series. He competed against a solid field of eight, closed the record mile with a :29.4 quarter and won by nine lengths.

Saturday’s big victory was just Engerran’s fifth time behind the gate with Funny Photo. The rider said she did not have a lot of time to prepare him for the new way of racing, but felt an instant bond with the horse.

“I qualified him and raced him almost right away and he had never been ridden before,” said Engerann, who has been racing under saddle since 2004. “When I tried him, I felt he was a horse that found riding to be easy.”

Gardner said the horse definitely loves racing under saddle and he feels it has helped him race in harness this year.

“I will continue to race him under saddle because he really seems to excel at it,” Gardner said after the race.

Funny Photo is co-owned by Mo Coo Inc. and Jonathan Klee Racing. He has won $90,581 with 11 wins in 98 sulky starts.